DJ Gear: Free New Electronic Music Production Software & Plug-Ins

Ever wanted to produce, but didn't know where to start? DJ Tech Tools just compiled a list that can help you. The first thing you'll need is a digital audio workstation or DAW.

You may have heard of programs like Ableton Live, Logic, Pro Tools, Reason, or Cubase which are all DAW's and essentially function the same way. These programs can be pricey (around $500), and unless you want to risk a lawsuit over pirating the software you'll probably want something that's free.

The music production software Reaper is a great choice, and it will allow you to immediately start producing music at no cost at all. Reaper has an endless evaluation period, which means that you can use it forever with full functionality for free.

Next, you'll probably want to add some plug-ins to complement your brand new DAW. A plug-in is essentially a program within a program. You may have heard them referred to as VST's (Virtual Studio Technology), AU's (AudioUnits), or RTAS (Real-Time Audio Suite). These plug-ins will run within your DAW serving a specific function such as a certain effect or synthesizer.

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The free synthesizer and instrument plugins listed are Synth 1, TAL Synths, Magic 8-Bit (special shoutout to this one for its crazy video game type sounds), Alchemy Player, Crystal, and AutoMat. The effects plugins are Rough Rider, TAL FX, SupaTrigga, and W1 Limiter.

Now that you have the resources, start making music!

To learn more about what these do exactly, check out the full article at DJ Tech Tools' website.